Bottle dispensing cabinet



May 9, 1950 Filed Sept. 7, 1945 E. M. FULMER 2,506,717

BOTTLE DISPENSING CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l a a I n yea/10" y 1950 E. M. FULMER BOTTLE DISPENSING CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 7, 1945 I n ven tor EarZ/VariefzZmer B) and May 9, 1950 E. M. FULMER BOTTLE DISPENSING CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 7, 1945 Inventor [Q71 [Yff'ZfFZZZZZ 6% I Ma Patented May 9, 1950 BOTTLE DISPENSING CABINET Earl Merle Fulmer, Denver, 0010., assignor of onehalf to Joe E. Romero, Denver, 0010.

Application September '7, 1945, Serial No. 615,014

2 Claims.

This invention relates to bottle cooling and dispensing cabinets, and has particular reference to a cabinet for cooling and dispensing bottled beverages.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet of the above kind including a casing having an opening in the front portion of its top wall, an inclined bottle runway leading from the rear of the cabinet downwardly toward the front of the cabinet, and an elevator vertically movable between the forward end of the runway and the front of the cabinet for receiving and elevating the successive bottles from the run way so as to project them upwardly through the opening in position to be readily grasped and removed.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the above character in which the runway and elevator are adapted to receive the bottles in a substantially upright position, so that a maximum number of runways may be provided within a cabinet of given width with the runways in side by side relation. Thus, with a different brand of bottled goods disposed in each runway, a maximum number of brands of such bottled goods may be handled by the use of a single cabinet of given size.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a novel form of single delivery mechanism for the bottles associated with each runway.

Yet another important object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means whereby the runway and its associated delivery mechanism may be vertically adjusted with respect to the casing so as to adapt the cabinet for reception and proper handling of bottles of diiferent heights.

More specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a bottle cooling and dispensing cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line Z2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

there is provided a casing 5 having a removable lid 5 provided in the rear portion of its top wall with a plurality of longitudinal elongated openings closed by hinged closure panels I. In the forward portion of the top wall of lid 6 adjacent the front of the casing are provided bottle exit openings 8, one aligned with and in front of each closure panel I.

Mounted in the casing 5 beneath each closure panel I is a forwardly inclined bottle runway 9 in the form of a narrow elongated trough adapted to receive a row of bottled goods in a substantially upright position as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. The runways are thus disposed in adjacent side by side relation, and it will be apparent that a maximum number of runways may be provided in a cabinet of given width so as to handle a maximum number of brands of bottled goods, one brand for each runway. The runways 9 are inclined so as to at least assist, by gravitation, automatic forward movement of the bottles in the runways to dispensing position, follower means being of course capable of use to insure positive feeding of the bottles forwardly if found necessary or desirable in view of the upright position of the bottles. Such follower means forms no specific part of the present invention and is therefore not disclosed herein.

A single bottle delivery mechanism is provided between the forward end of each runway 9 and the front of the casing, for receiving the bottles one by one from the associated runway and elevating them to a position wherein the upper portions of the bottles are projected upwardly through the adjacent exit opening 8 for being readily grasped and withdrawn completely from the casing. As the several delivery mechanisms are of similar construction, description of one will suffice for all. Each delivery mechanism includes a vertical panel 10 mounted on the inside of the front Wall of the casing 5 and provided near its lower end with a rearw-ardly projecting supporting arm H to which is adjustably hinged by a nutted bolt l2 a conventional clamping band l3 receiving and holding a vertical tubular housing I4 for a guide bushing l5. Vertically slidable in the bushing I5 is the stem ll; of an ejector which also includes a bottle receiving tray ll fixed on the upper end of stem it above the housin l4 and in position to receive the lower end of the foremost bottle in the adjacent runway 9 as said bottle is fed forwardly from the runway. In this way, the ejector is mounted in vertical alignment with an exit opening 8 so that the bottle thereon may be elevated to project the upper end of said bottle through said exit opening for being conveniently grasped and removed, when the ejector is elevated.

For elevating the ejector, the lower arm of an angular rod 18 is fixed to the lower end of stem l6, and the other arm of rod l8 extends upwardly above the ejector between the latter and the panel 10 where it is operatively connected by a conventional adjustable link IS with one end of an operating lever 20. Lever 20 is pivoted between its ends at 2| to a bracket 22 secured on the upper end of panel l directly under the lid 6, and the other end of lever 20 is of angular form and projects upwardly through a slot 23 in the lid 6. This projecting end of lever 20 provides a handle for manipulating the lever so as to elevate the associated ejector when said projecting end of lever 20 is depressed in a forward and downward direction. The lever 20 is returned to its normal position with the ejector lowered, by means of a helical tension spring 24 connected to link l9 and panel ID. The link I9 is adjustable in length to secure the most suitable normal position of lever 26 when the ejector is completely lowered with its tray [7 resting on the upper end of housing M as shown more clearly in Figure 4. The housing [4 is vertically slotted at the front as indicated at 25 so as to provide for upward passage of the lower horizontal arm of rod I8 when the ejector is elevated. By tightening the pivot bolt l2, the housing 14 may be set in a truly vertical position so as to correspondingly position the stem l6 of the ejector. Suitably mounted directly in front of the tray I! of the ejector so as to extend above the same is a vertical arcuate guard 26 against which the successive bottles may lean in case they should tilt as they pass from the runway to the tray of the ejector. This results in maintaining the bottles in a nearly upright position so that they will immediately gravitate to a truly upright position within the tray I 1 of the ejector before the latter is actuated. As shown, the guard 26 may be rigidly supported in proper position by means of a suitable bracket 21 fixed to and projecting rearwardly from the upper portion of panel l0. A U-shaped bracket 28 is also secured to the panel In so as to project rearwardly from the latter in embracing relation to the housing M. The forward end of the adjacent runway 9 has a depending apron 29 whose lower portion is forwardly offset to engage in the rear part of the bracket 28 so that the latter effectively supports the runway '9 at its forward end and in proper position for passage of the bottles from the runway into the pan ll of the ejector. Bracket 28 may be suitably braced as at 30.

It is well known that bottled goods are often sold in bottles of different heights, and it is therefore necessary or desirable to adapt the present cabinet for handling bottles of different heights. For this purpose, provision is made for vertically adjusting each runway 9 and its associated delivery mechanism with respect to the casing 5, such adjustment also providing for adjusting the inclination of the runway. For this purpose, an adjusting bracket 3! is secured to the rear wall of the casing in position to support each runway 9 at its rear end. Each bracket 3| includes a plate provided with a vertical series of spaced upwardly and forwardly inclined flanges 32. The runway 9 is provided at its rear end with a depending transverse flange 33 adapted to be selectively engaged behind the desired one of the flanges 32 to support the rear end of the runway 9 at the desired elevation. For the adjustment at the front, each panel I0 is provided on its front face with an adjusting bracket 34 having a plurality of forwardly projecting and inclined flanges 35 adapted to be selectively engaged with forwardly inclined transverse flanges 36 which project rearwardly from a coacting adjusting bracket '31 secured on the inner face of the front wall of easing 5. It will be noted that the flanges 35 and 36 ar considerably closer together than the flanges 32 of bracket 3|, thereby providing for a finer adjustment at the front of each runway and ejector assembly or unit. By reason of this fact, the adjustment of the inclination of the runway is made possible as well as adjustment of the height of the assembly or unit, variations in the inclination of the runway being provided for by flexing the apron 29 relative to said runway so as to change the angular relation thereof. In practice, the ejector is set at the desired elevation with the runway 9 disconnected therefrom. The rear end of the runway is then set at the desired elevation, whereupon the apron 29 may be properly engaged with the bracket 28 by slightly flexing the apron relative to the runway to effect said engagement.

It is contemplated that the present cabinet be used for cooling bottled goods as well as for dispensing the same. Accordingly, suitable cooling means may be provided within the casing 5. Ice or other cooling medium may be placed in the casing 5 beneath the runways, or the casin may have a refrigerating coil in the lower portion thereof beneath the runways. Obviously, the supply of bottle goods in the respective runways may be readily replenished from time to time by opening the closure panels 7 and introducing the necessary additional bottle goods within the casing 5 through the openings closed by said closure panels.

In order to minimize as far as possible the escape of cool air from the casing 5 through the exit openings 8, special closures are provided for the latter. As shown, the closure for each exit opening 8 is preferably in the form of an elastic bushing 38 fitted and cemented or otherwise secured in the exit opening, said bushing being 4 provided with a thin closure diaphragm that is radially slitted at 39 to provide a plurality of flexible flaps 40 between the slits. These flaps 40 are normally in the same plane and serve to substantially completely close the associated exit opening. At the same time, the flaps will readily flex outwardly by contact of the bottl therewith when the latter is elevated, thereby permitting free upward passage of the bottle through the exit opening. As soon as the bottle is grasped and removed, the flaps Will return to their normal closing position.

In use, the runway and ejector assemblies or units are set at the desired elevation. The closure panels 1 are then opened and the required number of bottles of beverages are introduced within the respective runways in contacting relation and in a substantially upright position with the bottles resting at the bottoms thereof upon the bottoms of the runways. Preferably, a different brand of bottled goods is placed in each runway, and the particular brand of bottled goods in any particular runway may be indicated suitably on or at the actuating lever for the ejector mechanism of that runway. The bottles are automatically fed forwardly at least partially by the action of gravity due to the inclination of the runways,

and the foremost bottle in each runway passes from the latter into the tray Ii of the associated ejector. Any brand of bottled goods may be readily selected and ejected by actuation of the properly selected operating lever 20.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the present invention will be readily under stood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes may be made in details of construction illustrated and described, such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. Also, it is apparent that the invention is capable of embodiment in other specific forms than that illustrated and described.

What I claim is:

1. A bottle dispensing cabinet comprising a casing having a bottle exit opening in the top and near the front thereof, a vertical panel mounted on the inside of the front of the casing for vertical adjustment relative to the latter, a bottle delivery mechanism bodily carried by said panel and including a vertically reciprocable bottle receiving tray, and means for raising said tray to elevate a bottle thereon partially through said exit opening, said means for raising the tray including a hand lever operatively connected to the tray and pivoted to the top of said panel, said lever projecting upwardly through the top of the casing directly in front of said exit opening, an inclined trough for successively feedin bottles in an upright position to said tray upon lowering of the latter, a bracket carried by said panel and supporting the lower end of said trough, and means for supporting and vertically adjusting the higher end of said trough.

2. A bottle dispensing cabinet comprising a casing having a bottle exit opening in the top and near the front thereof, a forwardly inclined bottle runway mounted in the casing and comprising a narrow trough adapted to receive a row of bottles in a substantially upright position, said trough having a depending apron at its forward end whose lower portion is forwardly offset, a supporting bracket for the front end of the trough arranged in and mounted on the front of the casing for vertical adjustment relative to the latter, said bracket having the offset portion of the apron engaged therein, means supporting the rear end of the trough from the back of the easing for vertical adjustment relative to the latter, and a manually operable mechanism for successively receiving the bottles from the front end of the trough and delivering the same partially upwardly through said exit opening, said mechanism being bodily carried by the mount of said bracket for vertical adjustment therewith.

EARL MERLE FULMER.

HEFEBENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,119,683 Cayo Dec. 1, 1914 1,164,156 Yeager Dec. 14, 19 5 1,195,129 Bain Aug. 15, 1916 1,205,844 Berry Nov. 21, 1916 1,234,766 James July 31, 1917 1,446,381 Dent Feb. 20, 1923 1,468,126 ONeel Sept. 18, 1923 1,705,573 Kaye Mar. 19, 1929 1,925,953 Cox Sept. 5, 1933 1,969,401 Goodin Aug. 7, 1934 2,305,348 King Dec. 5, 1942 

